Glass factory and improved furnace



A g. 17, 1937. A. FREDERICK GLASS FACTORY AND IMPROVED FURNACE man yte,

erjoli Aug. 17, 1937. A. FREDERICK GLASS FACTORY AND IMPROVED FURNACE Filed Oct. 22, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 17, 1937.

A. FREDERICK 2,090,444

GLASS FACTORY AND IMPROVED FURNACE Filed Oct. 22, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 sa %Qa A. FREDERICK GLASS FACTORY AND IMPROVED FURNACE Filed Oct. 22, 1.934

Aug. 17, 1937.

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GLASS FACTORY AND IMPROVED FURNACE Filed Oct. 22, l934 7 SheetS-Sheet 6 JU MIN wm i mambo p 3 du gasf Freder'cl Aug 17, 1937. FREDERIK' 2,090,444

GLASS FACTORY AND IMPROVED FURNACE I Filed Oct. 22, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheef 7 Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE GLASS FACTORY AND IMPROVED FURNACE August Frederick, Weston, W. Va.

Application October 22, 1934, Serial No. '749,452

3 Claims. (Cl. 49-54) The present invention relates to a furnace, and Figure 12 is a horizontal sectional View taken more particularly to a furnace especially adapted substantially on the line l2--l2 of Figure 11. for making glass. In the accompanying drawings wherein for the One of the objects of the present invention is purpose of illustration there is shown a pre- 5 to provide a glass making furnace, in which the erred embodiment of the invention, and referring melting tank thereof is especially adapted for more particularly to Figures 1 and 3, the reference making simultaneously, a plurality of difierent numeral M generally designates the basement colors of glass. floor of the furnace, which as clearly illustrated A further important attribute of the invention in Figure 3 is circular at one end, and of general w is to provide a novelly constructed melting tank rectangular shape at the other end thereof. The in which in case one of the sections of the tank fioor in the usual manner is constructed of fire should become inoperative, or a batch of 'glass brick, and is provided with upstanding brick side should be found to be deficient, the same can be walls iii and a second floor [8 spaced therefrom, emptied therefrom into the basement Without which is ccnstructed of brick or any other suitr, loss of time permitting the other sections of the able material and is supported from the basemelting tank to continuein operation. ment by means of the spaced columns 20.

A still further important object of the inven- Spaced from the circular end portion of the tion will be found to reside in the novel manner upstanding wall IS, is another wall 26 having a in which the heat which is normally lost and diplurality of spaced partition walls 28 therein rected into the smoke. stack of the furnace, is defining bins into which the different ingredients utilized for heating the leers and temperng the of the glass, such as soda, sand, lime, and so glassware. forth, are stored. In the wall 26 there are a A still further important object of the inven plurality of spaced openings 30 adjacent the floor tion will be found to reside in the particular con- !4 communicating with the compartments, the

struction of the firebox, and the novel manner in op gs being PYOVded With a s le S i able which the air is caused to circulate around the door 32 and in the first floor, as shown in Figure batch funnel into the firebox. 1 there are spaced openings 36 of substantially In the accompanying drawngs forming a part funnel shape communicating with the bins, by of this application, in which corresponding parts means o which h bins m y be onv ntly ?O are designated by similar reference numerals filled from freight Car r the like Which conthroughout i veniently pass around the second floor on the Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View track 40 adjacent the upstandng Wall o the of the furnace. building. Each of these openings 36 are pro- Figure 2 is a plan View of the first fioor thereof. Vded With remoVable eovers i Figure 3 is a plan View of the basement of the AS ShOWh in Figure 3 in the CrCulal d p furnace. tion, or the furnace portion of the factory, there Figure 4, is ti l sectiona View of Figure 3 is provided a circular track 46 which is disposed t k on i 4 4 thereof adjacent the bin openings 32, on which a car or Figure 5 is a t sectiona View of Figure 3 the like is moved to facilitate of the mixing of the taken on line 5 5 thereof batch from the bin into the mixing containers 48 40 Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizonta sectiona which are disposed on the ground floor of the View of the bottom of the melting tank shown in Y- p Figure 1 taken on line e 5 thereof Referring now to Figures 3 and 8 it will be seen Figure 7 is horizontal t a View f the that there are provided centrally of the circular melting t taken on u of Figure 1 portion of the factory, within the circular track, 45

d as indicated b the arrow& upstand'ng radially` disposed metallic furnace Figure 8 is a vertical sectional View of Figure 7 supports 53 and centrally Of the pp within taken online 8--8 thereof. the basement there is disposed a sewage outlet Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view through 52. Between each 0f the upstandng pp s 50 the melting tank shown in'Figure 8 taken on line t e a ed e sua Water tanks 54. 50 9--9 thereof. As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3 in the Figure 10 is' a Vertical sectional View through basement floor M there is provided a circular the melting tank shown in Figure 9. canal 56 communicating with a centrally trans- Figure 11 is a fragmentary Vertical sectional versely disposed canal 56' through the medium of view through the burner. g the branch canals 58. The canal 55 as clearly 55 *through the i by the workmen.

shown in Figure 3 communicates with the smoke stack 60 disposed on each end thereof and communication of the smoke and draft from the canal 56 is controlled through the medium of the operated valve 62 disposed in the canal 56 adjacent each stack. i

Similarly in the basem-ent floor there is provided pairs of spaced longitudinally disposed canals 66 communicating with the canal 56 for supplying heat from the furnace to the leers 68. This will be more fully hereinafter described.

As clearly shown in Figure 8 the floor !8 which will be hereinafter referred to as the working floor of the factory in the circular end, is provided with a circular opening, into which there is disposed the circular furnace 10 and which rests upon a perforated plate 12 on the supports 50. The furnace is provided with a bottom 1:3 and a circular upstanding wall 16, the bottom and wall in the usual manner being constructed of fire brick and as clearly illustrated in Figura 9 the urnace is divided into four glass melting sections A, B, C, and D through the medium of the radially disposed spaced walls 80, 82; 84 and 86. The walls as clearly illustrated in Figure 8 extend from the bottom of the furnace upwardly to a point just beyond the mici-point of the wall 16 of the furnace. Adjacent each melting chamber A, B, C, and D are the working chambers A', B',

C' and D' which are defined by the spaced walls 90 and 92 Secured to the radially disposed s paced walls. Each melting chamber, as clearly illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 communicates with its adjacent working chamber through the medium v of the bores 94 adjacent the bottom of the fur- 4 example when there is a bad batch, to be emptied from the working chambers through the openings into a water tank 54. The openings 96 obviously are disposed directly above each water tank.

The heat from the space between the walls 80, 82; 84, 86, is communicated to the canal 56 medium of four downdrafts |06 disposed between the walls as clearly illustrated in Figure 9. Cover plates of fire brick extend across the walls 80, 82; 84,' 86 as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. As clearly shown in Figure 8 'in the upstanding wall 16 of the furnace there are provided directly above the working chambers spaced work openings |I0 'from which the molten glass is taken for producing glass articles The furnace is provided with a top I M constructed of the usual fire brick materal, and directly above each melting section or chamber there is provided the heat inlet apertures ll6. Upon the top of the top of the furnace directly above, each fire inlet aperture ||6 there is disposed a cylinder shaped firebox ll8. The firebox as shown in Figure 11 is provided with a plurality of openings |20 in the bottom portion thereof,` and a centrally disposed opening having an upstanding cylindrical support 126 therein. Within the space between the wall of the support |26 and the outer wall of the firebox ||8 there are spacedly arranged gas burners l30 which are controlled through the medium of a .the glass.

valve !32, the gas being supplied to the furnace from a source of gas supply. The firebox ll8 communicates with the interior of the cylindrical support !26 through the medium of spaced openings !36 and the fire is directed downwardly on Within the upstanding cylindrical support !26 there depends the funnel !40 int which the batch of glass is inserted through the elevators !46. As shown the batch of glass after being mixed from the bins into the mixing boxes or containers 48 is transmitted by means of an endless belt !50 of the elevators !46 through the chute !60 into the funnel !40 where it enters its respective melting chamberi It will be seen that there is provided an elevator !46 adjacent each funnel, the elevator being driven by an elctrical motor !60 in the usual fashion.

As will be clearly observd in Figure 11 the depending portion !18 of the funnel !40 is spaced from the support 126 and is enc'ircled by a plurality of convolutions of a coil |80 which is supplied with air through the medium of a pump |82i The air is controlled by means of the valve |84. Normally each of the funnel shaped batch feeders are supplied with lids I86 which are removable when it is desired to supply the melting chambers with batches from their respective elevator. e

Adjacent each furnace on the second floor there is an upstanding wall !96 which is of substantially the same shape as the ground floor, and to the rear there are arranged the leers 68 through which the finished product is passed in the usual manner for the purpose of tempering. Normally the leers are supplied with heat from a separate source through the medium of burners or the like and it is one of the salient features of the present application to overcome this expensive Construction by providing the leers with heat from the melting chambers of the furnace. This heat ls normally through the medium of thestack 60 passed oli into the atmosphere. Obviously, the leers may be equipped with special heating apparatus, and when it is desired not to use the same, and to heat the same from the heat of the furnace, the valve gates 62 are moved to the downward position indicated in Figure 4 and the valve gates 220 opened by means of the control mechanism 224 the heat passing from the melting chambers through the channel 58 into the channel 56' where it is directed through the conduit 66 into the leers. Obviously the amount of heat from the melting furnace to the leers may be controlled by the adjustment of the respective regulating gates or valves 220. It is to be noted in this connection as shown in Figure 7 the downr drafts !06 communieating the hot air from the melting chambers into the circular shaped channel 56 are open at the top.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a factory for making glass, in which the difierent ingredients of the glass may be Conveniently mixed on the basement floor and carried by means of a motor actuated elevatcr into a funwithout interfering with the operation of the remaining melting chambers.

By virtue of the novel arranged Channels, and the communicating downdrafts, the heat from the furnace, is utilized to heat the leers in which the finished product is annealed or tempered.

While there is shown for the purpose of illustration a preferred embodimentof the invention,

it is to be understood that it is capable of various changes and modications without departing from the spirit thereof, and it is intended therefore, that only such limitations shall be imposed thereon, as are indicated in the prior art or in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:--

1. In a glass factory, a basement floor provided adjacent one end thereof with a circular canal and a plurality of mixing containers disposed on said floor in a circular series circumjacent the canal, a glass melting furnace supported above said floor at the last named end thereof for receiving the contents of said mixing containers, said furnace being provided with a pluralty of glass melting sections defined by a plurality of radially disposed, internal, spaced walls, tempering leers mounted above said basement floor at the end thereof remote from the mixing containers, down drafts extending downwardly from the spaces between opposed aforementioned melting section-defining walls to said circular canal for conducting heat from the furnace to said circular canal, additional canals connecting the circular canal with said leers for conducting heat to the leers, said additional canals including a transverse canal, Vertical smoke stacks connected with the transverse canal at the respective opposite ends of the latter, and valves arranged within said transverse canal inwardly from said ends of the latter.

2. In a glass factory, a basement floor provided adjacent one end thereof with a plurality of mixing containers disposed on the basement floor, a glass melting furnace supported above said basement floor at the last named end thereof and provided internally with a plurality of relatively spaced, radially disposed walls defining within the furnace a plurality of glass melting sections adapted to receive the contents of the mixing containers, tempering leers above said basement floor at the end thereof remote from the mixing containers, a circular canal in the basement floor below said urnace, down drafts extending downwardly from the spaces between the aforementioned radially extending walls to said circular canal for conducting heat from the furnace to said canal, a transverse canal in said basement floor intermediate the ends of the latter, branch canals connecting the circular and transverse canals together, and longitudinal canals connecting the transverse canal with said leers for conducting heat from the furnace to said leers. i

3. In a glass factory a basement floor provided in one end thereof with a circular canal, a furnace mounted above said basement floor at said one end and provided internally with a, plurality of walls defining a plurality of non-communicating glass melting sections, said walls being arranged to provide between the sections spaces,-

down drafts extending downwardly from the spaces between said glass melting sections to said circular canal for conducting heat from 'the furnace to said canal, glass tempering leers mounted above the basement floor at the end thereof remote from the circular canal, smoke stacks rising from the basement floor adjacent opposite edges thereof intermediate the respective opposite ends of the basement floor, and a plurality of inter-communicating canals connecting the circular canal with said smoke stacks and with said leers, and means for controlling the flow of heat through said canals.

AUGUST FREDERICK. 

